Clock.



. No. 637,8761 Patented Nov. 28, |899. A. M. LANE.

C L C K (Application led Apr. 16, 1897.)

(N9 Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

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` Patented Nov. 28, |899. A. M. LANE.

C L 0 C K (Application med Apr. 16, 1897.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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No. 637,876. Patented Nov. 28, |899. A. M. LANE.

CLOCK.

(Application filed Apr. 18, 1897.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALMERON M. LANE, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT.

CLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 637,876, dated November 28, 1899.

Application led April 16, 1897. Serial No. 632,454. (No model.)

To cir/ZZ whom, t may con/067%:

Be it known that I, ALMERON M. LANE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Meriden, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and f useful Improvements in Clocks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in clocks; and the main objects of myimprovement are simplicity in construction, general efficiency, and convenience of the parts, espe cially with reference to compactness of form and to the convenience of removing the movement from the clock-case when desired.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents in side elevation my clock and its case with the movement detached and pulled out of the case. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation with some of the parts removed. Fig. 4: is a reversed plan view of the movement with the rim partly broken away. Fig. 5 is a rear View of the dial and the alarm-setting devices. Fig. 6 is an enlarged partial vertical section on the linesof Fig. l, illustrating one of the catches by which the movement is held within the case. Fig. 7 is a vertical section through one of the posts or pillars by the side of the middle movement-plate 17. Fig. S is a like View of the same before said plate is secured to the pillar. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the middle portion of one of the pillars; and Fig. 10 is a rear View on the same scale as Fig. 2, showing my clock as modified by the em ploylnent of a rotary ham mer instead of a vibrating hammer. l

The case A is of an ordinary construction in its general features and has on each side thereof a notch 11 and pin-hole 12 to facilitate fastening and unfastening the movement to and from the case. On the back of the clock-movement B, I secure a rim C, and on diametrically opposite sides of said rim I secure spring-latches 13, bearing the holdingpin 14, Figs. 1 and 6. These spring-latches are also provided with push-buttons or knobs 15, rigidly secured thereto and passing through suitable holes in the sides of the rim C. The rim C is designed to Iit closely and easily within the rear of the clock-case, and the notches 1l receive the shanks of the pushbuttons, and when the movement is in place the pins 14 will snap into the holes 12 and firmly secure the movement in place. In order to detach the movement, it is only necessary for the operator to grasp the clock and press with his thumb upon one push-button and with a iinger upon the other, so as to withdraw the holding-pins, and then pull the movement out of the case. The case and the movement are shown in Fig. 1 as thus pulled apart, and they are ready to be assembled again by merely pushing the movement into the case until the holding-pins are brought properlyin front of the holes 12 in the clockcase.

The rim C is held in position slightly back of the rear movement-plate 16, and the main parts of the trains are inclosed between said rear movement-plate and middle movementplate 17, while the springs lie between the middle plate 17 and front plate 1S and the dial-wheels are between the front plate 18 and the dial 19. The alarm-setting wheels are mounted upon the back of the dial. The winding-post 2O of the clock-movement is arranged to one side of the center shaft and provided with a suitable handle or key 21, while the winding-post 22 for the alarm-movement is arranged diametrically opposite thereto and provided with a like handle 21. These winding-posts are connected with the usual springs 23, which, as before stated, lie between the front and middle movement-plates and drive the ordinary time and alarm trains of the clock, which I consider unnecessary to describe in detail. I have illustrated the alarm as provided with a hammer-shaft 24 and vibrating hammer 25, said hammer-shaft being oscillated by the scape-wheel 26 and pallets 27 in the ordinary manner.

The bell or gong D is mounted centrally between the two winding-posts, but to one side of the center of the clock, or, in other words, above the plane of said winding-posts, as best shown in Fig. 2, and I prefer to make the rim C of the clock deep enough to inclose the hell, the winding-post, setting devices, and handles of said devices within the recess of said rim. The setting-shaft 28 and its handle or button 29 is upon one side of the clock and carries on the back of the rear movement-plate 16 a pinion 30, which engages the teeth of the gear-wheel 31, and which wheel 81 engages IOO the wheel or pinion 32 on the center shaft ao for setting the pointers in the ordinary manner. The alarm-setting shaft 34 and its button 35 are arranged upon the other side of the clock, with the said shaft extending through to the rear of the dial I9, where it is provided with a pinion 36, which engages the wheel 37 and in turn engages the pin-wheel 3S on the back of the dial for setting the alarm-tripping mechanism, which tripping mechanism is of ordinary construction and need not be specifically described. It should be noticed that the bell or gong, the two winding-posts, and the buttons ot the two setting-shafts are all arranged upon the back of the clock in convenient relations to each other, so that all of the devices for performing the usual operation ot' winding and setting are accessible from the back of the clock.

The front and rear movement-plates may have their pillars or posts secured thereto in any ordinary manner. I secure the middle movement-plate I7 to the pillars or posts 39 by a novel construction. I form in said post a groove 40 at the point where this middle plate is to be attached, and I blank out the respective corners of said plate 17 with an open slot wide enough to receive the narrow neck at the grooved portion of the pillars, with the tongues 4l at each side of said slot. These pillars are inserted between the tongues 4l, as shown in Fig. 8, after which the tongues are bent down into the groove in the middle of the pillars or posts.

The clock shown in Fig. IO is the same construction as that illustrated in the other iigures, with the single exception that instead of pallets upon the shafts 24E and scape-wheel connected therewith I place a pinion upon said shaft driven by ordinary gearing, as designated by the two broken circles 42 and 43, Fig. lO, and in place of the vibrating hammer 25 I place on the rear end of said shaft 24 the revolving hammer-carrier 45 and a hammer 4G, loosely pivoted thereto for striking the periphery of the bell or gong I) in its revolutions. Such a revolving hammer 'for striking a bell has been formerly patented to me, and I may in some instances wish to substitute it for the vibrating hammer hereinbetore described.

By my improvements I produce a clock the movement of which may be readily detached from and attached to the case without the employment of special tools and without removing screws or other parts that are liable to be lost. The parts are ofla simple yet efiicient construction, and the bell and its hammer and the winding and setting devices are all compactly and conveniently arranged at the back of the clock, where they are always accessible.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination of a clock-case having the rearwardly-tacing notches Il and pinholes l2, with the rim C upon which the clockmovement is mounted and supported, and spring-latches mounted on said rim and having push-buttons l5 and holding-pins I4, the latter engaging with the pin-holes I2 in the case while the shanks of the push-buttons are received in the notches l1, substantially as doscribed.

2. A clock-movement 4having three movement-plates, the pillars or posts having annular grooves at the point for the middle one of said plates, and the said plate having at its edges pillar-receiving recesses and the tongues 4l bent down into the said annular grooves, substantially as described.

3. A clock-movement the posts of which have an annular groove 40 of a thickness corresponding with the thickness of one movement-plate, the said plate having at its edge a post-receiving recess with tongues #il for .bending around the posts within said annular groove, substantially as described.

ALMERON M. LANE.

IVitnesses:

JAMEs SHEPARD, A. W. STIPEK. 

